D's Soul Full Cafe offers art, music... and sandwiches

Art, music, and great food. If that’s not a recipe for success, what is?

At least that’s the hope of Stephen Bailey, the Hoboken blogger and community activist who will soon become the new owner of D’s Soul Full Café on Willow Avenue in Hoboken.

This Saturday, starting at noon, the Café will present live original music from a trio of Mile Square City regulars – singer-songwriters Dave Ribyat of Las Vandelays, Stacy Weidenmuller of Stacy & The Skywalkers, and ukulele impresario Lloyd Gold of Lloyd United – along with its double-brewed gourmet coffee and specialty sandwiches and wraps.

Bailey has been a musician, a diehard music fan, and a music promoter in Hoboken for decades; he is one of the forces behind the Hoboken Music Awards, and helps organize annual benefits for the Global Fund for Women. But he’s also always had a day job.

“I finally decided to take the plunge and open my own business,” Bailey said. He originally thought about buying a bar in town and turning it into a live music venue, but decided the café offered better hours and a chance to bring something new to Hoboken.

“Hoboken’s got plenty of bars, and if you’re hungry at 2 a.m. and want to get something to eat, there are places for that too,” he explained. “Our idea is to offer a place for both families and singles, a place where the city’s art and culture can come together along with offering great food.”

Under original owner Dwight Thompson, who will remain at the café along with the rest of the current staff, D’s Soul Full Café opened about a year ago, envisioned as ”a community hot spot for all of Hoboken.”

“My staff and I aim to foster an environment of creative inspiration by bringing together great food and good people with local art and music,” Thompson said at the time. “We want the Soul Full Café to be where you come to get the best start to your day, your lunchtime pick-me-up, or that perfect after-work snack.”

Bailey’s vision for the café remains very much the same. “We’re not changing the staff, we’re not changing the menu, we’re not changing the name,” he said. “I’ll just be bringing my experience and my friends from the music scene. We want to become the go-to place for both the community and people in the arts. We have original art on the walls, so we’re a gallery. We’re having live music so we’re a venue. But of course mostly people come in for the great food.”

The café is currently open for breakfast and lunch, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Bailey toyed with the eye of opening a late-night grill for the after-hours crowd but decided it would be too much to take on. “If you’re going to be open at 4 a.m. and have the place full of drunk people on the way home from the bars, you really need to staff the place fully,” he said. “We’d have to hire an entire second shift, and it was just too much.”

This summer, the café will be offering live original music on Saturdays. “We hope to be adding a Sunday afternoon songwriter’s feature soon too,” Bailey said.

LOCAL HAPPENINGS
At Northern Soul, the new Tuesday night original music series has been a success. Promoter Dave Entwistle has built a small stage and upgraded the sound system, and the move to Tuesdays from Thursdays has resulted in a quieter vibe and a more music-oriented experience. This past week, Jerzy Jung from Asbury Park made her Hoboken debut, along with local favorites Bern & The Brights and Gerry Perlinski, in front of a sizable and appreciative crowd. Wednesday nights still feature The People’s Open Mic, when musicians, comics, and spoken word artists can take a turn on stage. Sign-up is at 7:30. Northern Soul is located at 557 First Street (at Madison), Hoboken.

And don’t forget tonight’s Pier Sessions concert at Shipyard Marina (13th and Sinatra Drive,) with Those Mockinbirds, the Amboys, and Bern & The Brights. Music starts at 7 p.m. and admission is free and open to all ages. Bring a blanket or some lawn chairs and enjoy the cool Hudson River breezes and breathtaking view. There is also a bar and refreshments available.